This year has been a long one, a fact not lost even on the escapist music world. In the preface to its annual "best albums" list, Rolling Stone notes that "2016 was seemingly hardwired to self-destruct," complete with "explicitly political R&B molotovs" from Beyonce and Solange and a "poignant country plea from a Red State," courtesy of Drive-By Truckers. But it also cites a movement of "hip-hop that heals"—thanks, Chance the Rapper and A Tribe Called Quest—and moving goodbyes from David Bowie and Leonard Cohen (both of whom make the top 10), offering readers a variety of albums to either soothe or inspire. Here, the top 10 albums on the Rolling Stone roster:
- Lemonade, Beyonce
- Blackstar, David Bowie
- Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper
- Teens of Denial, Car Seat Headrest
- Blonde, Frank Ocean
- A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead
- Blue & Lonesome, Rolling Stones
- The Life of Pablo, Kanye West
- You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen
- Jeffery, Young Thug
Check the full list of 2016's best at
Rolling Stone. (The
100 greatest songs ever, at least by one gauge.)
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